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Post by lucyabout on Jul 4, 2013 0:30:34 GMT
Thanks for the tips Jacks. Will talk to my doc about testosterone next time I go. Maybe the lower testosterone accounts for me feeling "weak" in personality these days? Not sure how to describe the change, but I do feel disempowered if that makes sense.
Regarding having thyroid or partial thyroid removed, I'm not sure about how long they keep you in hospital these days for a thyroidectomy but when I had it done in 2000 I was in there for 3 days - primarly to ensure that the the neck drains properly and you don't get any issues after the operation. I think its still considered a significant procedure.
I didn't have any problems though. The very good advice given to me was about scarring from a scar nurse after the procedure. She advised me not to do any strenuous exercise for 2 months following as this will cause blood to come up to the skin and will worsen any scarring. I took her advice and the scar is barely visible. I also used vitamin E on the cut after it had healed enough to do so.
I also noticed that different docs use different wound covering techniques or applications. I had wide surgical "tape" across my cut to close and protect the cut.. rather than staples. This tape was only changed once and I think it was a good option rather than staples which don't cover the wound entirely and might cause additional scarring, I imagine. The tape provided me with a sense of security that the cut was entirely covered for several days.
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Post by jacksfullofaces on Jul 4, 2013 8:51:14 GMT
Lucy
You sound low on testosterone - if you have difficulties I bought some on Amazon lol. The thyroidectomy sounds unnerving - I do have BUPA if required. I think my GP hopes it quietens down.
Jacks
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Post by lucyabout on Jul 4, 2013 23:20:41 GMT
Thanks so much Jacks. I didn't know about the connection b/w testosterone and pubic hair... I have a new happy doctor that offers testosterone.... why? because he was sooooooooo concerned about my partner not getting sex! Yep.. its all about him! Whilst he's a male doctor and definitely is much more concerned about my partner's comfort - even about the hot flushes (he commented that my boyfriend must be suffering so much - he even commented how disrputive his wife's hot flushes are to his sleep)..... he is still much easier to extract hormones from than other docs I've visited - but he's given me a five year limit on HRT which concerns me. So I'll get some lol thanks for the tip on Amazon too! Yep the thyroidectomy is not a smallish procedure.. if you can do without it.. yes!
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Post by jacksfullofaces on Jul 5, 2013 7:23:07 GMT
Lucy
Thanks for the tip on the thyroidectomy - new guidelines published by the British Menopause Society say the arbituary 5 year guideline should no longer be policy.
You might also benefit from DHEA (Amazon) 10 mg daily or alternate days for muscles, ligaments, mood and body hair. Your doctor sounds amazing although he is concerned about the sexual satisfactiob of your man at least he hasn't just prescribed vaginal estrogen and told you in not so many words to lie back and think of England - my GP is great but I couldn't get hormones after the ****** practice gynaecologist said menopace was a cure all ( GP admits he is ignorant about hormones so I'm educating him) but I got another specialist to over rule her. Now I pay for my testosterone but with the other hormones being free due to thyroid disease I can be philosophical .
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Post by lucyabout on Jul 6, 2013 0:36:28 GMT
Oh that's good news... I hope that new policy filters down to Australia soon. By the way I just came back from visiting England, I had SUCH a good time there! Was my second visit, the last time was in 78, so that was a long time ago! Can I ask what testosterone product you are using - I'd like to purchase some on amazon instead, might be better and less expensive than visiting the doc. Yep, the doctors are amazing what they will come out with... you can hardly believe what comes out of their mouths... I guess with age, they become quite disinhibted... my doctor even told me he "misses how his wife used to be" and can't get her to take hormones (so that he can have sex again). Amazing huh?
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Post by jacksfullofaces on Jul 6, 2013 9:29:46 GMT
Lucy
No wonder you got testosterone lol here it is difficult to get anything other than vaginal estriol cream and an NHS physiotherapist told me of the fight she has to get British doctors to presribe even that. A doctor I spoke to says that medicine is being practiced too defensively and there was more chance of being run over by a bus then from hormones. I use Testim and Testogel - basically same thing different packaging. I bought Testogel on Amazon. Glad you enjoyed England - where did you visit?
Jacks xx
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Post by lucyabout on Jul 11, 2013 1:24:11 GMT
Hi Jacks
What a nuisance those pesky doctors are. I haven't been to my doc yet but will ask him what he's willing to prescribe just for the hell of it. Thanks for the amazon products, will look those up!
We stayed in London proper at this gorgeous hotel called Durrants. We had the most gorgeous time there and spent our time in and out of those glorious pubs drinking too much wine, english beer which my guy loved - and great shopping! We hopped on the tour busses and got off at all the important stops. We enjoyed ourselves so much despite the freeze which we aren't used to! My father's best friend (now deceased) has a daughter who lives in London so she took us out to a great restaurant. I just loved it all so much.
Australia is SO BORING by comparison ... its a very young country and not that much here. The cities are almost brand new, and any older history - old buildings etc - much of it was knocked down in the demolition 1960's.. so the city here doesn't have much character at all to speak of.. although the coastlines are beautiful.
I"m planning to go back to London end of next year for my 50th birthday! I loved it that much!
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Post by jacksfullofaces on Jul 11, 2013 7:47:10 GMT
hi Lucy
Glad you enjoyed London - I think it is best seen as a tourist. Although we are fighting a battle to keep some of the older features unchanged - Burlington Arcade springs to mind and a few years ago they tried to get rid of the Saville Row tailors. Best of luck with the testosterone I find it very helpful.
Jacks
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Post by lucyabout on Jul 11, 2013 23:38:51 GMT
Hi Jacks, I hope you are able to keep the character there as much as possible as so incredbily unique! Was at the Cambden market forgot to mention.. has got to be the best market I've ever seen! Puts ours to absolute shame!
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Post by nightowl on Jul 13, 2013 14:46:57 GMT
"medicine is being practiced too defensively"
Jacks, I totally agree with the doctor's comment.
I really feel that the Meno Clinic I attend are more concerned with malpractice than the fact that I'm severely progesterone intolerant and suffer hideous migraines connected to prog use.
As I've mentioned on another thread, they absolute insist that I take 400mg Cyclogest (equiv to 200mg Utrogestan) x 10 (12 is what they keep recommending but I am adamant to keep it at 10 as I get very ill by day 6) every 6 weeks - even though I'm only taking three-quarters of a 25 Estraderm patch, such a low dose that I rarely get any sort of bleed. And they are adamant that I must have TWO endo scans per year. At my last visit I had to sign some sort of disclaimer saying that I was aware of HRT risks.
Covering themselves - definitely I'd say.
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Post by nightowl on Jul 14, 2013 11:01:38 GMT
Thanks for your suggestion Pinky - I've tried 100 and 200 Utro in the past conti and sequi - both made me feel beyond hideous, depressed, morbid and induced migraines. The clinic will only allow Utro 100 on conti basis - at one time I was taking it on alternate nights with half of 25 patch and after 3 weeks I was in a very bad way, so had to stop. I've asked before about the Studd regime (Utro 100 x 7 per month) and the clinic have said they don't agree with it, they are quite strict. Plus if I took it for 7 days per month it would still work out to more than I'm taking now.
It's always day 6 of the progesterone when the migraine starts. I've been researching hyster and migraine but apparently in some cases it can make it *worse* - there's no guarantee of improvement, so no progesterone required but still migraines, just great eh!
In a bad place with the prog and dreading taking the next batch - I'm seeing a hospital neurologist again next week but they don't seem that clued up on menopause / progesterone related migraines.
It is difficult to know which way to turn but thanks for your thoughts.
x
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2013 11:27:55 GMT
Thanks for your suggestion Pinky - I've tried 100 and 200 Utro in the past conti and sequi - both made me feel beyond hideous, depressed, morbid and induced migraines. The clinic will only allow Utro 100 on conti basis - at one time I was taking it on alternate nights with half of 25 patch and after 3 weeks I was in a very bad way, so had to stop. I've asked before about the Studd regime (Utro 100 x 7 per month) and the clinic have said they don't agree with it, they are quite strict. Plus if I took it for 7 days per month it would still work out to more than I'm taking now. It's always day 6 of the progesterone when the migraine starts. I've been researching hyster and migraine but apparently in some cases it can make it *worse* - there's no guarantee of improvement, so no progesterone required but still migraines, just great eh! In a bad place with the prog and dreading taking the next batch - I'm seeing a hospital neurologist again next week but they don't seem that clued up on menopause / progesterone related migraines. It is difficult to know which way to turn but thanks for your thoughts. x Hi Nightowl - I know we have discussed migraines previously, and this may not be relevant for you; but, even though I am saying this with everything crossed, when I changed to Oestrogel, my headaches - the three day variety were much reduced. Since upping the oestrogel to 3 pumps a day, they are few and far between. Have you ever tried upping the oestrogen? I still use utro on alternate nights and my GP didn't seem concerned. She also said unless there was an issue, she didn't think regular scans were necessary, (although I'm not totally convinced about that) |
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Post by nightowl on Jul 14, 2013 11:51:03 GMT
Thanks Jaycee but I was much worse on the Oestrogel - I was on 2 pumps, then 3, then back 2, for about 1.5 years. Crippling migraines, really painful bleeds - the clinic said it could be the delivery method, less consistent than patches. Over the years I've tried everything, high to low - pills, patches, gels. I'm on only three-quarters of 25 patch but if I try to up it to the whole 25, I blow up immediately and get constant headaches, dizzy etc - estrogen overload. Clinic think that as I'm now 6 years post meno (at 51) I only need a 'trickle' of estrogen and many women function well on very low levels.
Guess I'm just one of the 'untreatable' cases re: meno meds. The clinic have said that apart from hyster, they don't know what else to recommend as I've been through the spectrum of available treatments.
Hope I don't sound like a hypochrondriac here - but my gut feeling is that there is something else wrong with me other than meno, eg. thyroid heart issues (which my mother has) - I can't believe that I've got this ill. I've had loads of NHS blood tests etc etc - but always they com back as 'normal'. I can't go to the docs again - just live in hope that one day I will find some health stability, who knows maybe when I hit the 10+ year post meno milestone, things may settle ...
x
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Post by jacksfullofaces on Jul 14, 2013 13:16:17 GMT
Nightowl
My thyroid issues didn't show up with standard NHS testing. I had mine done privately to find the raised peroxidase and anti immune markers.If you have thyroid cheks you may need to search further than TSH, T3 and T4.
Jacks
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Post by jacksfullofaces on Jul 14, 2013 13:18:50 GMT
Hi Jacks, I hope you are able to keep the character there as much as possible as so incredbily unique! Was at the Cambden market forgot to mention.. has got to be the best market I've ever seen! Puts ours to absolute shame! Lucy You should have seen Camden market back in the nineties before it was "sanitised" we bought an enormous 30's disco ball, a fantastic cinema signs with the wrords presents all lit up and some amazing things. It is not as good as it used to be. Jacks xx |
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yael1
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Post by yael1 on Jul 15, 2013 6:30:03 GMT
Hi - I'm new here and relatively new to meno. I'm 49 and the fun has begun! I started get the sweaty waves (especially at night) a few months ago and eventually went to the gyn cos was fed up with it. He prescribed oestrogel once a day 2,50 mg. I started two weeks ago and my hotties are getting more frequent!! How long does it take for the oestrogel to kick in? I called him in desperation yesterday and he said that the oestrogel can't be making my flushes worse. He told me to take another half dose in the morning.
Love to hear if anyone had similar experience when starting HRT and an input would be great
Yael
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Post by jacksfullofaces on Jul 15, 2013 10:12:34 GMT
Hi - I'm new here and relatively new to meno. I'm 49 and the fun has begun! I started get the sweaty waves (especially at night) a few months ago and eventually went to the gyn cos was fed up with it. He prescribed oestrogel once a day 2,50 mg. I started two weeks ago and my hotties are getting more frequent!! How long does it take for the oestrogel to kick in? I called him in desperation yesterday and he said that the oestrogel can't be making my flushes worse. He told me to take another half dose in the morning. Love to hear if anyone had similar experience when starting HRT and an input would be great Yael Hi Yael Your gynaecologist gave good advice in suggesting an extra dose during the morning. When I started using oestrogel I did have a few side effects - heightened anxiety and sweatiness - it took about a month to get myself feeling good. It can take up to three months for your body to adjust to new oestradiol levels. You might need to tinker with the dose and if you still have a cycle - your requirements might be higher at the latter part of your cycle. I am adept at squeezing out an extra 1/4 of a measure for that sudden dip in oestrogen. Also if you do strenuous exercise this can also givve you the need for a booster dose. I highly recommend reading Uzzi Reiss Superwoman and Thierry Hertoghe Hormone Solution. Jacks |
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yael1
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Post by yael1 on Jul 16, 2013 6:00:20 GMT
Thanks Jacks.
Glad to hear I'm on the right track. Bit impatient though - the extra half dose doesn't seem to be working!! I'm wondering whether to just go for it myself and do 2.50 of gel at night and 2.50 in the morning. Although you did say it could take time and its only been two weeks since I started. I'll check out the books you recommended thanks.
Yael
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Post by jacksfullofaces on Jul 16, 2013 6:13:47 GMT
Thanks Jacks. Glad to hear I'm on the right track. Bit impatient though - the extra half dose doesn't seem to be working!! I'm wondering whether to just go for it myself and do 2.50 of gel at night and 2.50 in the morning. Although you did say it could take time and its only been two weeks since I started. I'll check out the books you recommended thanks. Yael Yael Go for it - no point in suffering. Jacks |
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yael1
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Post by yael1 on Jul 16, 2013 7:56:41 GMT
will do!! Thanks
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mojo
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Post by mojo on Sept 30, 2013 13:40:12 GMT
A question.
I woke up last night sweating and this morning I had a hot flash. (I've not had too many hot flashes so far in my peri-journey. I'm 47) Anyway, now I feel wasted. I presuming this drained, aching and exhausted feeling is quite normal and a common occurrence after a hot flash?
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Post by jacksfullofaces on Sept 30, 2013 13:57:11 GMT
Very normal mojo. Several hormones are disrupted by a hot flash including aldosterone which governs blood pressure. Also norephedrine which runs amok often causing anxiety which is followed by exhaustion. A hot flash races around the body affecting the tntire vascular system so it is not surprising it has lasting effects.
Jacks
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mojo
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Post by mojo on Sept 30, 2013 14:14:21 GMT
That very interesting info Jacks. Thank you. I should make some time to read around the subject.
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Post by jacksfullofaces on Sept 30, 2013 15:06:02 GMT
Mojo I really had to search to find information. I have posted a link here mentioning PMS and blood pressure - it mentions the effect of aldosterone and norephedrine - it is a scholarly article and hidden away past pages of links about diet and ewxercise grrrrr
It really annoys me when those two things are touted as cure all.
Jacks
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